8 August 2023

By Thomas E. Weil 

Full disclosure – I met Jumbo Edwards briefly during my 1970 Yale lightweight crew’s campaign for the HRR Thames Cup, and that episode is recounted in Jamieson’s book. I also had the privilege of reading and commenting on Jamieson’s manuscript prior to publication. No fees were paid or received, or animals harmed, in the course of any of the foregoing.

I suspect that no news source has been as assiduous as HTBS in following Jamieson’s coverage of the life of one of the most interesting – and distinguished – oarsmen and coaches in rowing history, a venture that has culminated in his publication of the biography Water’s Gleaming Gold – The Story of Hugh ‘Jumbo’ Edwards. Three and a half years of HTBS articles on the subject, largely contributed by Gavin Jamieson and Göran Buckhorn, include the following “Jumbo Edwards: Oarsman, Coach and RAF Pilot” (Part I – 17 February 2020, Part II – 18 February 2020, Part III – 19 February 2020 and Part IV – 20 February 2020), “Jumbo Edwards Biography” (21 February 2020), “Gavin Jamieson: Jumbo’s 1927 Metropolitan Medal” (15 September 2020), “90 Years Ago, a HRR Triple-Win for Jumbo Edwards” (5 July 2021), “Jumbo Edwards – ‘Water’s Gleaming Gold’ ” (4 August 2021), “Gavin Jamieson’s Water’s Gleaming Gold Is Soon Out” (20 April 2023), “War And Peace: The Life of Hugh ‘Jumbo’ Edwards” (17 June 2023) and “Q&A: Gavin Jamieson on his Biography of Jumbo Edwards” (28 July 2023).

Many book reviews fill a large percentage of the commentary with a summary of the book content. Any faithful follower of HTBS, however, should be very familiar with the 40-floor elevator speech summary of Jumbo Edward’s remarkable life. And, dear reader, if you aren’t, here are some of the bare bones:

Westminster School. Christ Church College, Oxford. Collapsed during the 1926 Boat Race, an unfortunate distinction which provided the accelerant for the burning passions that engulfed the rest of his life. Rowed under Steve Fairbairn at London Rowing Club. Lost another Boat Race in 1930, but won the 1930 HRR Grand and Stewards, the 1931 Grand, Stewards and Goblets, and the Goblets again in 1932. Won two gold medals in rowing at the 1932 Olympics. Had a life long love affair with flying. Flew numerous WWII air combat missions, including, in November 1943, making an open seas ditching in which he was the only survivor, rowing a life raft for hours despite multiple injuries before being rescued by a British naval vessel.  Successfully coached Oxford (including a classic Boat Race win in 1952 and overcoming a crew mutiny in 1959, Wales (for Commonwealth Games), London and Leander crews after the war, often flying from the RAF base where he was stationed in Germany to the London area to meet his crews on the weekends. Introduced numerous training and equipment innovations. Wrote a book, The Way of a Man with a Blade, that, while concealing no (well-deserved) self-esteem for his prowess as an oarsman, tends to focus on the training and technique approaches and results that he achieved as a coach and wished to pass on to those engaged in teaching the craft of oarsmanship.  

A life as colorful as Jumbo’s cries out for a radiant selection of hues in its portrayal, and Jamieson does not fail to meet the challenge. His writing is engaging and alluring. From his choice of expressive words to his crafting of gripping sentences, the author easily threads his way through the sinuous and crowded tapestry that illustrates Jumbo’s life. The urge to turn the page is not motivated by the suspenseful curiosity that pursues a mystery’s solution; it is, instead, driven, first, by the richness of the masterful detailing of a remarkable story, with the promise of more to come every day in Jumbo’s adventurous life, and second, by the craft and artfulness of Jamieson’s writing.

As laid down by Jamieson, the pull of the narrative is both gentle and strong.  Whether Jumbo is sitting in a boat, soaring over European skies, or coursing through any of the many challenges he overcame, the author utilizes a compelling narrative current to propel his protagonist through the text, never calling “Way enough” for long enough to leave the reader caught in an idle eddy. Often leaping in enthusiastic spurts, the pace of the book in any event rarely falls below that of a brisk paddle, and the “swing” of the story, as related by Jamieson, is mesmerizing.

I have little doubt that most of the principal milestones of Jumbo’s life have been covered with accuracy and skill in this volume (a discussion of competing versions of his experience in the 1932 Olympics will be presented in a separate article). I am also confident that the details and nuances of any life as rich, full and eventful as Jumbo’s could well populate many more pages than the 230 allotted him in this book. Not surprisingly, there are allusions to some aspects of Jumbo’s behavior and personality, including a certain amount of irascibility and his affinity for the bottle, which are not explored as closely as another biographer might have chosen to do. As the spouse of Jumbo’s granddaughter, Jamieson may well have elected, as would be his prerogative, to avoid elaborating on some of the more negative notes in Jumbo’s psyche in order to spare the sensibilities of family members, and the decision to employ any such reticence may well have been balanced by the trove of correspondence and records to which Jamieson’s position in the family gave him ready access.

I heartily recommend Water’s Gleaming Gold, not just to those who enjoy rowing history, or good biography, but also to those who feast upon good writing. Kudos to Gavin Jamieson for this gift bestowed upon us, and may we see more such works flow from his pen in the years to come.